This invention concerns golf putters, and more particularly putter heads.
A great many putter head configurations have been devised in an effort to improve the ability of a golfer to execute accurate putts, as by providing particular sighting marks, offset connections between the shaft and head, etc.
One factor in properly executing most golf shots is to minimize the twisting of the shaft as the head strikes the ball. This is avoided when the xe2x80x9csweet spotxe2x80x9d strikes the ball squarely as twisting forces are thereby avoided, but unless a perfect stroke is made, slight twisting forces act on the head. This twisting of the putter head in turn causes inaccurate putting.
While there have previously been proposed roughly ring shaped putter heads tending to increase the moment of inertia of the putter head, the attachment of the putter shaft in those designs have been such as to create an imbalance of the putter head on the shaft tending to create slight twisting when the ball is stroked.
The object of the invention is to provide a particular putter which is resistant to twisting movement induced by striking the ball during execution of a putting stroke.
The above object as well as others which will be apparent upon a reading of the following specification and claims are accomplished by a putter head configuration and shaft attachment which increases the moment of inertia of the putter head about the shaft axis over conventional putters such as to reduce the tendency for twisting by means of an increased inertial resistance to turning. At the same time, the putter head is symmetrically arranged with respect to the shaft axis to eliminate imbalances of the putter head on the shaft when stroking the ball.
The putter head is configured as a ring flattened on the front side, with the shaft attachment within the ring located at the center of mass of the putter head, connected by a web extending radially along the line of sight from the inside of the wall defining the ring shape. The flattened front wall of the ring shape defines the striking face of the putter head.
A special arrangement of sighting marks is preferably disposed on the shaft socket web and on the top of the front wall to assist in proper alignment of the putter head with a desired path of the ball to the cup.